


A Tale of Firsts

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Lyoray [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Firsts, Friendship/Love, M/M, Marriage, Promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-12 17:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17471540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It started with a drunken kiss, and it didn't stop there.





	A Tale of Firsts

 

   The first time they kissed was a mess. It was at the end of Fantasia, and the guild was still in the process of picking themselves up, and Gray had found himself drinking far more than usual, wanting to celebrate and forget everything that had happened. He had already been pleasantly tipsy by the time he had allowed himself to be drawn into a challenge against Cana. A challenge that everyone in Fairy Tail knew better than to accept, as it always ended in defeat, with a nasty penalty the next day when they were sober and nursing one hell of a hangover. However, that was the last thing on his mind as he did his best to keep up with her, his thoughts growing more and more muddled by the moment until eventually he had been forced to admit defeat, collapsing against the desk with a low groan of defeat.

    He had come too to find himself pressed against a cool back, and it had taken him a moment to place the silvery hair brushing against his cheek.

“Lyon…?”

“Finally awake?” Lyon’s voice was softer than he remembered it and he blinked in confusion, trying to lift his head before realising that really was a bad idea and dropping it back against the other Ice mage’s shoulder with a groan. “Just how much did you manage to drink?”

“I don’t want to know…” Gray muttered, feeling his stomach rolling from the motion of moving and he pressed his face against Lyon for a moment, waiting until he felt marginally less like he was about to throw up before asking. “Why are you here?” He hadn’t seen or heard from the older mage since Galuna Island, and while he wasn’t really complaining, he would have preferred their reunion to happen when he wasn’t struggling to string two words together, and not to throw up.

“I had to come and see the Fantasia parade,” Lyon replied, coming to a halt with a sigh, his arms tightening around Gray’s legs as he caught the relieved huff from the dark-haired teen at the pause in motion. _Now I know how Natsu always feels,_ he thought dizzily, waiting for the world to stabilise, only to blink when he was gently lowered to the ground. Alcohol and staying upright didn’t go well together, and he wavered and nearly fell, but Lyon had managed to turn fast enough to catch him, and he caught a brief glimpse of the older mage’s smirking face before he was guided to the floor.  “I thought I’d check in on you as well, but I have to say I wasn’t expecting to find you passed out in a bar.”

“Celebrating, and trying to forget…”

“Forget?”

“It’s been a hellish few weeks…” Gray mumbled, allowing the other Ice mage to guide him to the floor and leaning back against the wall with a sigh. “Wanted to take my mind off it, didn’t really work though…” He admitted wearily as he closed his eyes. Even at the height of his competition with Cana, he hadn’t been able to shut off his thoughts, and he knew that was part of the reason he had taken it so far. _I just wanted a moment’s peace…_

“I bet I can help with that,” Lyon’s voice was closer than he’d expected, and his eyes shot open a moment later when cool, chapped lips pressed against his. For a brief moment he contemplated trying to pull away, but the kiss was overwhelming, and he found himself responding before he’d even thought about what he was doing. And as his eyes drifted shut, he found his thoughts finally quieting. Everything was being consumed and overwhelmed with Lyon, and right now that was just what he needed.

****

    Their first date wasn’t even a proper date. They were still covered in bandages after their fights against Oracion Sèis, and reeling from the revelations about Cait Shelter that had led to Wendy being invited to joining Fairy Tail. Everyone else was busy getting ready to leave, to go their separate ways and Gray had been right in the centre of it, bickering with Natsu and trying to avoid Erza’s wrath at the same time, when a cold hand had snatched his wrist, and he’d found himself being pulled away from the others. Neither of them had spoken, and Gray had felt himself turning redder by the moment. At least when they had been fighting he hadn’t had to think about the last time he had seen the other Ice mage, and the kiss that they still hadn’t spoken about, but now that was all he could think about, and it felt like his cheeks and ears were on fire.

    However, he had been pulled out of his thoughts when Lyon had led him down to a small, sheltered cove, blinking at the blanket and what looked like a picnic basket set up in the shade of a couple of trees.

“What…?”

“Sherry helped me set it up,” Lyon admitted, and Gray was relieved to see that the other Ice mage looked almost as flustered as he felt, and his gaze flickered over the set-up once more before he turned narrowed eyes towards Lyon.

“Why?” He had meant to sound more demanding that he had, and he cursed as he caught the predatory smirk that passed over the silver-haired male’s face. _Oops._ He froze as Lyon stepped closer, unable to bring himself to step away even as a chill ran down his back. “Lyon…” He was cut off, squeaking slightly as Lyon kissed him fiercely, feeling his thoughts skidding to a halt just as they had the last time this had happened. At least this time he wasn’t completely out of it with alcohol, and with only the slightest hesitation he reached up and wrapped his arms around Lyon’s neck, feeling the hum of approval that went through the older mage as the kiss deepened.

“I thought that I should at least take you on one date if we’re going to keep meeting like this,” Lyon finally replied, sounding slightly breathless as he pulled back enough to rest his forehead against Gray’s, laughing softly as Gray’s face immediately turned bright red once more. “It might not be much as we’ve got to leave soon…”

“It’s perfect,” Gray cut him off, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to Lyon’s lips, feeling butterflies dancing in his stomach as it occurred to him that the older mage was making it sound like that this was something that was going to continue, and that he really liked that idea.

****

   The first time they said ‘I love you’ was a long time coming, longer than either of them could have anticipated. Neither one of them had expected it to be seven years before they would see each other again, and to be honest, Gray had been terrified that the feeling that had been growing between them would have gone, vanishing just like he had. It was why he had been unable to go and seek out Lyon, terrified that he might find that the other Ice mage had died, or that he had fallen in love with someone else and so he had thrown himself into learning what he had missed and helping the guild try to find its feet again. Ignoring the growing desire to go and see Lyon, and his friends’ gentle encouragements when they kept finding him staring off into the distance, for once letting his fear rule his actions.

    It had worked, right up until Lyon had turned up at the guild to see him. He should have known that it would happen, after all, there was no way the news of their return was ever going to be kept quiet. And yet he had been caught completely by surprise, standing frozen in the middle of the guild and staring wide-eyed at Lyon, drinking in the sight of him, and subtly checking that there was no sign of a ring on his finger. In the end, it had been Natsu of all people who had nudged him forwards, and he had stumbled forward, still floundering for something to say. As always though Lyon seemed to know what to do, and the older mage stalked towards him, black eyes glittering with an emotion that Gray couldn’t identify, and he came to a halt. _Lyon…_

“Idiot,” Lyon’s voice was softer than he had ever heard it, and Gray opened his mouth instinctively to protest the insult, only to be silenced as the older Ice mage swept him into a tight hug. It was only when they were pressed tightly together that Gray realised just how much the other mage was trembling, and he found himself blinking back sudden tears as he returned the hug, burying his face against the other’s chest as he whispered.

“I’m back…”

    Lyon pulled away a couple of minutes later, and Gray couldn’t stop the soft noise of protest that escaped, although it trailed off as cold hands cupped his cheeks and he raised his eyes to meet Lyon’s as colour spread across his cheeks.

“Don’t you dare do that again.” Gray wanted to bristle at the command, flashing back to when Lyon had been the Cold Emperor, but he couldn’t. Not when he could hear the desperate edge beneath the words, and mutely he nodded, pressing against the hands holding his face. Apparently, that had been enough of an answer, as Lyon pulled him in for a heated kiss, seemingly uncaring of the fact that they were stood in the middle of Fairy Tail. “I love you,” he breathed softly when they broke apart, and this time Gray couldn’t stop the tears that trickled down his cheeks.

“Yeah, I love you too.”

****

    The first time that Lyon proposed was in the aftermath of the battle with the Dragons. The miniature versions that they had been fighting had just finished disappearing, and Crocus was still lit by the explosion in the distance, but he hadn’t been able to focus on any of that. All he had cared about was rushing to the younger Ice mage’s side, sweeping a startled Gray into a bone-crushing hug and burying his face against Gray’s shoulder.

“I thought I lost you. I thought…” He muttered, tightening his hold as the nightmarish image of watching Gray fall in front of his eyes flashed through his mind He had no idea what had happened, or how that had been reversed, and he didn’t care. All that he cared about was that they had been given a second chance, and there were tears in his eyes as he pulled back just enough to pepper Gray’s face with butterfly kisses, making sure to press one to each and every scratch and bruise that he could see. “I love you,” he whispered as he finished with a gentle kiss to Gray’s lips, the younger repeating the words before burying his face against Lyon’s chest, trembling as he pressed as close as possible and Lyon wrapped a protective arm around him as he realised how badly the younger was shaking.

  _I nearly lost this…_

    It was a terrifying thought, especially given how much time they had already lost because of Tenroujima and the distance that being in two different guilds put between them. Until now, the rare moments they snatched together had barely been enough, but now after coming so close to losing the other Ice mage, he knew that it wasn’t enough. Slowly, trying not to draw attention to his actions he focused his magic, recalling the pain that had flooded him in the brief moment that he had thought he had lost Gray, his eyes burning as his magic gave shape to his feelings, and when he felt the ice in his hand he pulled back.

“Gray…” He waited patiently for Gray to meet his gaze, reaching out with his free hand to brush away the tears that had trickled down the other’s cheeks, his fingers lingering for a moment before he abruptly dropped to one knee. Gray’s mouth dropped open, a stunned expression spreading across his face as Lyon held out the ice ring he had just made, swallowing as he tried to get his voice to work once more. He really hadn’t thought this through, and he could feel his courage wavering as Gray stared at him, but as his gaze traced the path that the blasts that had briefly stolen Gray from him had taken, he found it once more. “Marry me?”

    He didn’t get a verbal answer. Instead, he found himself being knocked onto his back as Gray flung himself forward, wrapping him up in a tight hug as he began to sob. He could vaguely hear the girls squealing the background, but he only had eyes and ears for the mage in his arms. “Should I take that as a yes?” He asked when the silence stretched on, a broad smile spreading across his lips when Gray nodded almost desperately against his chest, and he reached out blindly for Gray’s hand, slipping the ring into place and kissing it softly. “I’ll ask again when I have a proper ring but thank you for saying yes,” he whispered as he pressed a gentle kiss into dark hair.

_Thank you for loving me…_

****

    The first time they made love was in the wake of Tartaros. Both of them had wanted to wait until they were married, but then Tartaros had happened, and Fairy Tail had disbanded, and Gray had sought out his fiancé with a desperation in his actions that had frightened Lyon. Later he would realise that it was because Gray already knew what he was going to have to do now, but at the time all he had been able to see was the pain in the younger’s eyes, the raw agony in his voice as he begged Lyon to drive everything else away.

    It probably hadn’t been the best way to go about it, and certainly not the best time, but Lyon hadn’t been able to bear the sight of Gray so fragile. So close to being utterly broken, and so he had caved to the frantic demands, the sheer need to forget even for one evening. His teammates had cottoned on to what was happening, disappearing for the night without a word and leaving them with the house.

    It was nothing like what he had imagined their first night to be like. And it certainly wasn’t romantic, and Gray had finally broken midway through, crying softly as Lyon paused and just held him close. And when they had come to an end, it hadn’t been in a storm of passion, but a gentle swell of whispered words. Promises that things would never change, quiet declarations of love and tender kisses, and later that night as he lay in bed, Gray sleeping uneasily in his arms, Lyon realised that it had been perfect in its own kind of way.


End file.
